Augusta Air Passengers Comforted by Therapy Dogs

I bumped into this article last week, which talks about a program at the Augusta, SC regional airport in which therapy dogs roam the airport with handlers.  The goal is to calm those that may need calming, and, in the event you haven't traveled lately, we ALL need calming.  And there is nothing better than the sight and engagement with a friendly dog to immediately change one's mood and perspective.

It truly is amazing what dogs do for us.  The whole concept of therapy dogs is truly fantastic, and what they do to make lives of people substantively better is truly awesome.  Working dogs, be they military dogs, police dogs, or hunting dogs, do their jobs better than humans or machines ever could.  Finally, the health benefits of having a dog in terms of stress and blood pressure reduction are renown.

A favorite story that I bumped into many years back (and one in which I can neither find nor attribute) goes back to a Native American legend in which the Great Spirit has created the world, and all of the people and animals in it.  In his design, the Great Spirit found it necessary to separate people and animals, and He ran a river between the two groups to keep them separated forever.  But just as the division was almost complete, dog jumped over the river and stood alongside man.

If you're ever flying through the Augusta airport and encounter one of these dogs, see if you don't feel if that Native American legend was right.